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Witchcraft
Witchcraft is a practice of magic used by Witches that encompasses many different types of activities including astrology, divination, spell casting and spirit communication. It includes the practices of many cultures, nations and religions as well as many books and writings from ancient times. Depending upon the individual, some witches practice their power by certain belief systems, such as Shamanism, Voodoo, Santería, Wicca, or any number of other magical practices from countries and cultures all around the world. While most witches appear as kind and selfless humans who use their powers to maintain balance within the world, it has been proven by multiple characters that some witches are independent thinkers who may go against the Balance of Nature by practicing their powers for dark and sinister deeds. Different Types of Magic Ancestral Magic Ancestral Magic is an extremely powerful form of witchcraft that is commonly practiced by the Covens of Los Angeles. Similar to Spirit Magic, this form of sorcery draws its energy from the power of ancestral witches who have been consecrated into Los Angeles soil Connective Magic Connective Magic is a form of sorcery that allows a witch to create a semi-permanent bond that draws strength from other supernatural beings, such as another witch. The witch, Dahlia, however, invented her own brand of this magic which allows the casting which to channel another witch's power while also augmenting said witch's power. She also used this magic to draw on the strength of an immortal being to achieve true immortality in conjunction with her The Immortality Slumber Spell. However, neutralizing or killing said immortal being would similarly affect the witch. Unlike sacrificial magic, the target which energy is drawn from is not hurt. Dark Magic Expression is an extremely powerful form of sorcery that draws on dark energy that is so malicious, it would supposedly demolish the world if it were ever called into existence. The details and history of expression remain unknown, however, according to the witch, Maverick Chamberlain, the forces of expression are considered so powerful that many witches discredit it as magic, for it expands beyond the limitations of both ancient and modern witchcraft. Sacrificial Magic Sacrificial Magic can be a powerful form of sorcery, though is highly dependent upon the ritualistic sacrifices of natural and supernatural beings. Similar to Expression, this form of sorcery can draw upon the energy, in various forms, from any supernatural creature that is sacrificed. According to the witch Christopher Chamberlain, Sacrificial Magic is but one of the many branches of witchcraft that is popularly practiced by many of the witches in Los Angeles. Spirit Magic Spirit Magic was a very powerful form of sorcery that drew its power from the Spirits who resided on the Other Side. Unlike other forms of magic, with the exception of Ancestral Magic, Spirit Magic could only be used how the Spirits saw fit and if a witch abused the power that is bestowed upon them, the Spirits would break the connection between themselves and the witch, preventing them from further harnessing their power. Since the collapse of the Other Side, Spirit Magic may have become extinct. However, it's been shown that witch spirits that have found peace in the afterlife retain their ability to perform magic, though it is currently unknown if living witches can call upon these spirits for additional aid. Traditional Magic Traditional Magic is one of the oldest and purest forms of sorcery inherent to the Earth and the forces of Nature. Traditional Magic is undoubtedly the most popular form of witchcraft known-to-man, however it is also the most exhausting. This is mainly due to the fact whenever a witch uses this power they must exert their own energy, causing them to experience symptoms of dizziness, fatigue, and minor nosebleeds. Known Magical Practices Blood Magic Blood Magic is a magical practice that refers to the mystical properties found in non-human blood. Blood from different supernatural species possess different uses. Elemental Magic Elemental Magic is a magical practice that involves the utilization of the four alchemical elements: Fire, Water, Earth and Air. A witch with enough magical power can interconnect Elemental Magic within their rituals and spells to draw on their unique properties. Spell Casting One of the main components of witchcraft is the ability of witches to cast spells. Spell Casting is a power of Witches and witch-related species such as Siphoners, Witch-Vampire Hybrids and, possibly, Werewolf-WitchHybrids to work magic through the recitation of incantations. This allows users to magically alter reality to a wide number of effects or to evoke forces to change their surroundings. Though this is an ability possessed by all witches, it can also be achieved through thoughts, gestures and rituals, although generally spoken. Description Spells are capable of producing a wide variety of effects, both harmful and helpful. They can produce physical or chemical changes in a person or object. They can also have profound mental effects such as altering memory, manipulating emotions, or causing magical compulsion (such as forcing someone to speak truthfully). Spells can manipulate other kinds of magic, such as binding (preventing the use of) a witch's powers, transferring powers between individuals or objects, breaking magical barriers, lifting or casting curses, protection from harm and range from healing to resurrecting the dead. Some spells require more than one witch to make them work in order to increase the amount of magic and therefore potential power available for the spell. The capabilities of spell casting are nearly limitless, though it depends on the type of magic being invoked, the proficiency of the witch and the spell being cast. A great majority of spells contain a spoken component, notably known as an incantation. An incantation is written and recited as a verse that can vary widely in length from a single word, to a short phrase, to a long verse repeated to completion. Some spells consist of only an incantation where others have additional and/or specific components as well. A spell may require the use of certain tools, ingredients (herbs, stones and minerals) or the use of additional power such as from talismans, celestial events or a specific kind of magic. Spells and Rituals One of the defining characteristics of a witch is their ability to cast spells; a "spell" typically being the word used to signify the means employed to carry out a magical action. A spell could consist of a ritual action, a set of words, a verse, or any combination of these. For reasons unknown, the majority of spells used by practitioners of Traditional Magic and Spirit Magic are spoken in an ancient language very similar to Latin, while the ancient witch Insidious performed his spells in Aramaic (a language that originated from the Middle East). However, witches who practice other forms of magic have been known to use spells in different languages; for example, the Los Angeles Coven, which practices Ancestral Magic, performs their spells in French or French Creole, while the Travelers typically perform their spells in Czech. Dahlia and Adalyn Chamberlain have performed spells using a yet to be identified ancient magic in Old Norse, similar to the modern-day Norwegian, Icelandic, Germanic, Danish, Scandinavian and Swedish languages.